Does My Project Really Need a Construction Manager?

I recently attended and presented at the Midwest Facilities Conference in Wisconsin Dells. The conference is held each year for the educational benefit of Facilities Directors in schools throughout the Midwest. One of my presentations was a discussion on evaluating the need for a Construction Manager – “Does my project really need a construction manager?”

That answer is not based on the cost of the construction program, nor is the basic evaluation criteria limited to school planning or needs. The evaluation criteria should be based on four main factors: (1) the capacity of building staff to separately manage the overall urgency of project completion, (2) underlying complexity of the new installation, (3) potential disruption to interior building functions, and (4) the safety risk to the users during construction operations. These critical construction operations aspects are over and above the required management of the various trades involved for any project. Construction will either become the primary focus or be lost in the fray of day-to-day operations normally required of building staff.

Consider that flooring replacement is often treated as a basic maintenance and “relatively” low cost (even for an entire building) item. However, the complex logistics of categorizing and temporarily relocating interior building elements can be challenging. Using a Construction Manager to plan and execute a project of such basic need will be a benefit in reduced effort by staff, while securing the best available contractor to install the new flooring product. The inclusion of a Construction Manager will provide time-saving financial benefits.

ICI executes construction planning and operational expertise that complements and unburdens the day-to-day operations of your building staff. ICI continuously works to plan and control construction operations by limiting disruption as well as implementing a safety plan for the sole benefit of the Owner and occupants. Our service will yield on-time and high-quality results regardless of project dollar volume. Strongly consider the impact your desired construction improvement has on your overall “day-to-day” business operations and use ICI for the “messy work”, while you maintain focus on the bottom line of your core business.